Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on 22 September 2026 held wide-ranging discussions with a visiting Japanese parliamentary delegation led by Taro Kono, Director General of International Cooperation at Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), in New Delhi. The talks centred on strengthening bilateral defence technology collaboration, joint military exercises, and regional security cooperation for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

What Was Discussed

According to the Ministry of Defence, the meeting produced a 'productive exchange of views' covering three core pillars: defence technology co-development, expanded joint exercises, and a coordinated approach to Indo-Pacific security. The talks signal continued momentum in a partnership that has deepened considerably over the past decade, moving well beyond ceremonial exchanges into substantive defence-industrial territory.

A day earlier, on 21 September 2026, the same delegation called on Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Those discussions spanned a wider canvas — defence, economic security, supply chain resilience, trade and investment, technology, innovation, and people-to-people linkages — reflecting the breadth of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The Parliamentary Delegation

The LDP delegation arrived in India under the India-Japan Distinguished Visitors Programme, scheduled from 18 to 22 September 2026. Alongside Kono, the delegation included Kenji Nakanishi, Deputy Chairperson of the LDP Policy Research Council; Karen Makishima, Acting Director of the LDP International Bureau and Deputy Chair of the Committee for the Promotion of a Digital Society; and Sakon Yamamoto, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Bengaluru Visits: Tech, Space and Defence

Before travelling to New Delhi, the Japanese lawmakers visited Bengaluru, where they toured the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The Indian Embassy in Japan noted that the visits reflect the depth of ongoing cooperation between the two nations and the opportunities that lie ahead, particularly in AI, technology, space, defence, and startups.

The delegation reportedly noted the strides made by India's deep-tech entrepreneurship ecosystem and commended the scope and speed of the country's economic development, including its growing manufacturing base. They assessed the need for a more intensive economic security partnership, with a specific emphasis on de-risking and supply chain resilience.

Strategic Context and the Modi-Takaichi Direction

The MEA's statement underlined that, given 'rapid global economic and political churn', both sides regard the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership as 'an anchor for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific'. The engagement is guided by directions set at the 16th Annual Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Takaichi. This visit comes at a time when both nations are actively working to diversify supply chains away from single-point dependencies — a concern shared across the Quad framework that counts both India and Japan as members. Notably, the focus on BEL and ISRO during the Bengaluru leg underscores Japan's interest in co-investing in India's defence-industrial and space sectors, areas where bilateral cooperation is still at a relatively early stage compared to India's partnerships with France or the United States.

What Comes Next

No specific agreements or timelines were announced following the meetings, but the sustained high-level engagement — spanning both the defence and foreign affairs tracks — suggests that concrete co-development proposals may be formalised at or ahead of the next annual bilateral summit. Industry observers will watch for any follow-on announcements from BEL or the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) regarding Japan-linked technology transfer or joint venture frameworks.